New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) Science and Technology minister Kapil Sibal and his old friend and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Arun Jaitley were seen discussing the Indian Premier League in parliament Monday. Jaitley was chatting with reporters, enlightening them on his experiences in Karnataka that goes to polls in May, when Sibal got down from his car to enter the parliament building. Jaitley, who takes credit for the revamping of Ferozshah Kotla ground here, asked Sibal if he had enjoyed the Indian Premier League match between Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals on the ground.

Sibal complained that he had to sit away from his friends in a corner. The rowdy behaviour of the crowd and other issues related to the match were also discussed. Jaitley promised Sibal that he would get a seat of his choice with his friends next time a match is played at Kotla.

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Speaker compliments Scindia for intervention

Jyotiraditya Scindia, 37, the newly appointed Information Technology and Communications minister, tabled some papers in the Lok Sabha Monday during zero hour. As is his habit now, Scindia spoke in chaste Hindi. When he finished, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee asked him: “Is this his maiden intervention as minister?” When Scindia sheepishly answered in the affirmative, Chatterjee said: “I compliment you.”

The scion of the Scindia family thanked the chair before leaving the house.

*-* Sab Press ke liye hai (All this is for publicity)

Madhusudan Mistry, the chief whip of the Congress party, is a veteran when it comes to inciting the opposition. During the protest by National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members demanding the removal of Shipping and Transport minister T.R. Baalu Monday, Mistry joined issue with the NDA leaders.

“They are more concerned with the press galleries,” Mistry said, meaning it was all for publicity. “Shout and then keep looking up (at the press gallery),” he told the NDA members.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who stopped the telecast of the protest, echoed this. He said: “This is being done to get publicity in the press.”

As if proving Chatterjee right, the moment he ordered that the telecast be started again, the shouting from both the treasury and opposition benches - which had subsided - gained momentum.